Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (27 page)

“I know. I don’t want to say anything to Ivy about all that yet. It could just be a coincidence. They run in her family, too.” Nicola said tucking away his new picture in his wallet.

“You sound real excited for a man uninterested in a family,” Brooks mocked Nicola.

“Maybe, but I just had to let someone know the good news. I don’t know. This morning when I woke up, all I could think about was how I didn’t want to be here, but now, I’m really glad that I came.” He was somewhat embarrassed by his new excitement.

“Just promise me one thing, man.” Brooks blew his sore nose and sighed.

“What?” He really didn’t want to hear what Brooks had to say, but he listened attentively. Resentfully.

“Promise me that you won’t loose sight of the fact that Ivy is another man’s fiancée and that there is always the possibility that those twins,
regardless of the coincidence
, are another man’s children. I don’t want you to wind up getting hurt in the end.”

Nicola lowered his voice. He really didn’t want Ivy to hear what he was about to say. “It’s not the girl that I’m here for, Brooks. I just really want to be apart of this experience, just in case the kids are mine.” He could feel his spirits coming down. “Like I told you the other night, what Ivy and I had was temporary. I’m not even interested in her, especially now. I just want to do what’s right by her, because I did sleep with her.”

“Alright, that’s commendable” Brooks said hearing frustration in his friend’s voice. “I don’t mean to bring you down, but it’s my place as your friend to try to keep you grounded.”

“I’m not going to get hurt. Damn, you act like I’m in love or something.” He breathed heavily and looked at his watch. “Look, I’ll be down the precinct by three. Call me if you need me.”

Chapter Thirteen: Comparisons

Chapter 13

COMPARISONS

“
I’ve decided not to hide my pregnancy anymore,”
Ivy explained to her mother as they walked through the Wolfchase mall.

At first, Ivy was concerned about the contempt that others would have for her pregnancy. She was after all the former Ms. Bryton-Ritz College, a title that carried great weight at her school and in her community. She was a new employee at Yveson and Letehwich, which required a great deal of time and effort. But more importantly, her own self-image did not reflect that of a young,
possibly
single mother. She had always pictured herself conquering the world and then eventually settling down to have children. Now, she had to both at the same time.

In dealing with her new reality, Ivy tried feverishly to hide her secret. And as much as possible, she avoided anyone outside of family and Trina. But the more she bonded with small beings resting in her womb, the more she refuted giving in to the great expectations others had placed on her and that she had placed on herself. She was starting to realize that she could recreate herself to be a stronger, more aggressive creature.

“Do your professors know about the situation?” Sadie asked. Although Sadie had been extremely worried at first, now she relished in the thought of beautiful grandchildren to dote after and love unconditionally. She missed having children in the house and the pitter-patter of little feet.

“No. I just tell them that I have to go to my doctor’s appointment or that I’m not feeling well. I didn’t want them running back telling everyone on campus. But now, I really don’t care.”

“Pretty soon, they’ll notice anyway.” Sadie stopped to look at the Anne Taylor window display. She definitely needed new clothes now that Madison was coming to stay for a while. “It’s high time for you to embrace this pregnancy and forget other people.”

“You’re probably right. But I’ll cross that road when I get to it,” Ivy said rubbing her stomach.

**

Later that evening after Ivy had put away all of her new clothes, she sat in the floor of her closet crying softly.
Get a grip on yourself
, Ivy commanded herself to listen. Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath. It was nights like this when she was alone in the quietness of her room that her past came back to haunt her. She could hear Nicola’s voice whispering in her ear and feel his hands at the base of her back. She could see his dark brown eyes staring her in her face and his body hovering over hers in the silence of his bedroom. And when she tried to close Nicola out of her mind, she would see Grey begging her back, holding her close, putting that ring back on her finger and claiming her once more as his own. There was no escaping either one of them now.

Ivy was carrying twins by one of two men that were constant forces in her life, and she seemed to have little control over the situation. Every day she worried that Grey would grow tired of their arrangement and leave her alone and denied. In his eyes, she had cheated on him, and in her eyes, well…she just didn’t know anymore.

“Ivy, are you in here?” Trina asked knocking on Ivy’s bedroom door.

“Yeah.” Ivy wiped her eyes once more and hurried to her feet.

“Grey is on the phone.” Trina automatically knew that Ivy was crying again but refused to acknowledge it.

Cutting her misery session short, Ivy made her way to the chaise lounge by her bed. Grabbing the phone, she laid down on the comfortable cushion and let out a great sigh.

“Hello,” Ivy said clearing her voice.

“Hey. I was calling to see how you were doing.” Grey still felt extremely guilty for his vulgar, tasteless actions with Kit only a week prior, but he also felt vindicated now by Ivy’s own poor judgment.

“I was going to call you when I thought that you were at home. I’m fine. I went shopping today with Momma, and we just got home about two hours ago.” Running her hands through her hair, she held the phone in a long silence. “Are you still mad at me, honey?” she asked finally.

“For God’s sake, would you please quit bringing it up! No, I’m not mad at you, but you make me crazy constantly apologizing.” He was still very much upset, but he didn’t want to admit it. However, stating that fact would only start an argument, or should he say
another
argument.

“I just wanted to be fair with the two of you. I said whose ever turn it was to take me would get the first glimpse of the baby.”

“
Babies
,” Grey said correcting her. He rolled his eyes. “I just think that it’s messed up you didn’t think enough of me to make that type of decision with
me
.” He couldn’t seem to let it go either. “I am still your fiancé, you know.”

“You just don’t know how difficult it is to be fair to both of you right now.”

“You wouldn’t have to worry about that if you had just never told him you were pregnant. Besides, there is no need to be fair with him. It’s me you should be concerned with. His ass will be gone when all of this is over…back out chasing skirts.” His voice raised in irritation. “Damn, I hate him.”

“You shouldn’t hate him. It’s all my fault. You should hate me,” Ivy said feeling guilty all over again.

“I should, shouldn’t I?” Grey said letting his anger get the best of him. “You talk about how hard all of this is for you, but what about me? Hell, I have to raise these children. If they are mine, I don’t have a problem doing that, but if those babies are this son of bitch’s I don’t know what in the hell to do.” He could hear Ivy crying faintly.

“You shouldn’t marry me if you can’t accept these children,” she said trying not to wimp out. “We should just call this off, right now.” Ivy knew that she didn’t mean it.

“Don’t tempt me, Ivy. No man in his right mind would sign up for this job. I love you. I do, but…” Grey stood up behind his desk and stared out the window at the skyline of downtown Memphis. He didn’t really want to hurt her. So, he backed off. “Look, I’ll talk to you later alright. Just… get some rest.”

“You always do this!” Ivy said screaming to the top of her lungs.

“Do what?” Grey said on the defensive. “Calm down. Think of your health.”

“You always say all of this mean shit and then run off the phone.” She blew her nose in her handkerchief.

“Are you serious? Ivy, what in the hell do you want from me? I’m trying like hell to hold on to you…trying to make this work. But you need to take responsibility for your own shit. You know that I wanted to be there with you yesterday. Don’t play stupid with me.”

“I was just trying to be fair. I made a mistake.”

“Yeah, well lately, you’ve been making too many.”

Slamming in phone down in her face, Grey immediately regretted his words. Who was he kidding? He didn’t want to call it off. In fact, he wanted her more her now that ever, because for once, she depended on him. She needed him to be there for her. It sort of made him feel good, better than before when she was so damned independent.

Ivy moved to her bed and put her hands over her face. She was so tired of arguing with him! He was more emotional than her, and she was pregnant. She hit her pillow as hard she could. Damn him! She closed her eyes and tried to block out her frustration. This entire situation was driving her insane.

She needed to talk to someone. Anyone who understood her. In the same frustrated breath, she thought of Nicola. He always understood her, and he never seemed to have a bad word to say about anything. She huffed. Feeling vindictive herself, she picked up the phone and dialed Nicola’s house phone. She would just talk to him until she fell off to sleep. To hell with Grey and his spiraling antics.

“Hello?” A woman said answering Nicola’s phone.

“Umm.” There was immediate hesitation. “Hello, may I speak with Nicola?” Ivy asked startled. If she didn’t think that he had caller ID, she would have just hung up the phone.

“No, you may not. He’s busy right now,” the woman said hanging up the phone quickly.

Ivy stared at the phone in shock for a moment before she put down the receiver.
Who was this bitch?
She thought about what Grey has said about Nicola only minutes before. Maybe all he did was chase skirts after all? Or maybe he had one particular skirt that meant more to him than her. Was
she
the woman who had designed his home? Had
she
picked out the comforter on his bed, the paintings on his wall? Had
she
picked out the clothes on back? Maybe
she
was just out of town the night that they had gotten together? Ivy stopped herself.

“Why am I so angry that Nicola has a friend, when I have a fiancé? Silly little girl,” Ivy said out loud before crawling into bed.

**

“Did my phone just ring?” Nicola asked walking back into his bedroom.

“Yeah, but I told who ever
she
was that you were busy,” Kelly said sitting up in the bed.

“But I wasn’t
busy
.” Nicola said walking over to his caller ID to find that it was Ivy that had called. “Shit.” Picking up the phone, he rolled his eyes at the young blonde who ignored his pouts. “Did she sound like something was wrong?”

“I don’t know,” she said rolling her eyes back at him and throwing the cover off of her legs. “You know, I’m getting pretty fucking tired of every time I come over, you running to the phone. The other morning you got up and called some girl at the crack of dawn to meet for breakfast. I mean, I was still in your bed. It would have been nice for you to at least wait until I was gone.”

“I’m only going to tell you this once…don’t answer my damn phone.”

“Who is she, Nicola?”

“Do I question what you do? Do I care? No.”

“She means that much to you, huh?” Kelly’s eyes begin to water.

“You don’t understand the situation. And I don’t expect you to either, but I’m telling you this…” he said getting Ivy’s answering machine. “You had better hope that she didn’t need anything serious.” He hung up the phone before the machine could record his voice.

“Who ever this bitch is, she is not your fucking girlfriend,” she said finally standing up nude beside his bed. As long as she had been seeing Nicola, he’d never been worried about anyone but himself.

“Kelly, neither are you,” he said enjoying pissing her off. At least she was feeling the way that he felt at that moment…totally annoyed. “And don’t ever call her a bitch again. You have such a dirty mouth.”

“You like my dirty mouth it when it’s on your dick!”

“Well it’s not on there now, so do me a favor and clean your language up. No one likes a woman with a potty mouth.” He paused for a moment and looked at her completely enamored with him. A pointless pursuit. “Kelly, maybe you’re just wasting your time here. Go home.”

“
Go home
? My God, Nicola. We have been seeing each other for years. And all you can tell me to do after all of this time is to go home. You are such an asshole! I mean eventually, I thought you would at least learn to like me, but it’s the same old
get in and get out
with you.” She dressed quickly.

“I’m just not in a position to give you what you want. I have told you that a hundred times over.”

“News flash,
Nic
. You’ll never be in a position to give me what I want, because you’re too busy using people. You’re just a bitter, thirty-year-old childish boy that’s playing cop. And when you take off your badge, your gun and your uniform, you know what you’re left with?” she asked pulling her long blonde hair up in a ponytail.

“No. But I’m sure that you’ll tell me,” Nicola said with derisive smirk. He was so ready for her to leave.

“You’re left with nothing! Because you are shell, Nicola. You don’t have a life. You don’t have a heart. You don’t have a purpose. I mean, I’ve never once heard you talk about family or heard of them visiting. They’re probably as sick of you as I am.” She fumbled with her jeans as she put them on. “You don’t have shit, because you’re a nothing…a fucking nobody!” Storming past him, she pulled her keys out of her purse.